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Stay ahead of the game: Ways to become more organized this semester

Even though school has only been in session for a couple of weeks, the start of a new semester can be highly overwhelming. Time seems to go by in a flash, especially when you’re coming back from your summer state of mind in which time was actually your friend. If you’re feeling swamped by the piles of assignments and the multitude of responsibilities that come with growing up, fear not! We’ve got your back. Here are five ways to help you stay organized and on top of things throughout the school year.

Planner

If you don’t have a planner already, owning one is sure to be a life-changing move. We get that having an extra school supply to lug around in your bag can be hard on your back. Fortunately enough, planners come in a variety of sizes as well as designs to fit your back-to-school aesthetic. You can even resort to a more digitalized approach by using an app on your smartphone. Having a planner allows you to have supersonic memory, rather than having to guess when your GSI said your problem set is due or remember when to pay your bills.

Cord clips

Having a bunch of wires gathered around your outlets can not only be displeasing to look at each day but also presents itself as a safety hazard. Buy some cord clips to declutter your working space, which will make your home a more pleasant place to return to and study in. Cord clips come with an adhesive backing that makes them easy to attach to walls and desks. Now, you can have multiple chargers, lamp cords and whatever other appliances you may need all organized and within easy access.

Key holder

Everyone has been locked out of their dorm room or apartment at least once in their life. It’s an inevitable right of passage to adulthood and serves as a tedious learning experience that you’ll always forget. But have you ever been locked within your home? Sounds ridiculous, but if you’ve misplaced your keys and need to dash, you know the struggle of having to frantically toss things around just to find them in the strangest of places. An easy solution to this is buying a key holder. You can purchase ones online that have a magnetic feature, which makes putting your keys away as simple as tossing them. A money-saving solution is to take a small jar or dish and place your keys inside of it every time you come home.

Separate your work by course

Having all of your notes for a specific class in one folder, notebook or file allows you to have all of your information in one place. When the midterm and final exams come rolling around the corner, you’ll be organized and prepared for the challenging task ahead. If you like to take your notes by hand, you can purchase a set of notebooks for under $10 online to delegate each for a specific course you’re taking. For those who take their notes via tablet, separating everything in an organized manner is an even easier task.

Take the time to declutter

Coming back to school and having to immediately start grinding on all of your academic responsibilities doesn’t allocate much time for you to get rid of the things you don’t need anymore. If you haven’t already done so, take some time to purge all of the miscellaneous items in your life that no longer serve a purpose. In college, you can accumulate a lot of stuff — from a multitude of freebie shirts to textbooks that’ll only serve their purpose once in your life. Spend an afternoon deciding what you need to donate, sell or simply toss out.

If the first few weeks of school haven’t exactly been a “walk in the park,” we totally understand. Getting back into the swing of things can be difficult and may take some time. We at the Clog hope that these five suggestions will help alleviate some of the back-to-school stress and get you back on track.

About this blog

The Daily Clog (Cal+Blog) accumulates various tidbits about Berkeley and college life. We focus on the UC campus, the city of Berkeley and Berkeley’s online community. We give our two cents on all the goings-on.